SIMON THOMAS
retailers and the wider visitor economy. In Baden-Baden, Germany, the casino sits naturally alongside the town’s spa, opera house and historic gardens as one of the attractions that gives the destination its international appeal. In Ostend, Belgium, the casino has for many years been integrated into a broader leisure and events complex, hosting concerts, conferences and cultural events alongside gaming. These are not identical regulatory systems, nor should Britain seek simply to copy them. But what they demonstrate is something rather important.
Across much of Europe, casinos are frequently regarded as part of the civic and tourism infrastructure of a destination. They are judged not solely by gaming revenue, but by the contribution they make to employment, culture, tourism, investment and the vitality of the places they call home.
Perhaps Britain has never fully embraced that way of thinking. Or perhaps we, as an industry, have never given people sufficient reason to do so. That is why I think the current debate presents a much bigger opportunity than business rates alone.
For years our conversations with Government have understandably focused on taxation, regulation and compliance. Those discussions remain critically important and always will. But perhaps there is another conversation waiting to happen, one about identity.
Imagine if every casino in Britain published an
annual Community Impact Report. Not a glossy marketing brochure filled with carefully chosen photographs, but a straightforward, evidence- based account of the contribution it makes to its local community. It might record the number of local people employed, the amount spent with regional suppliers, the charities supported, apprentices trained, partnerships developed with councils and police, and the contribution made to tourism, neighbouring businesses and the wider evening economy. Such a document would do far more than celebrate commercial success; it would demonstrate civic value. More importantly, it would begin to change the conversation about what a modern casino actually is.
For years our industry has understandably focused much of its energy on defending what we do. Perhaps the next chapter should be about demonstrating what we contribute and that is a very different conversation. If we continue to define ourselves solely by the games we offer, we cannot complain when others see us only through that narrow lens. If, however, we become known for the jobs we create, the visitors we attract, the partnerships we build and the communities we help strengthen, then the debate begins in an entirely different place. We cease to be viewed simply as gambling premises and instead become recognised as long-term contributors to the economic and social health of our towns and cities.
And I think that’s a fantastic opportunity for British casinos.
The Government has challenged every sector to demonstrate its wider value to society. Rather than immediately asking whether casinos should benefit from future business rates relief, perhaps we should first ask whether we’ve done enough to demonstrate why we deserve to be considered alongside those businesses already recognised as community assets.
My instinct is that we have an excellent case to make. The challenge is that we have rarely made it collectively. Perhaps the greatest opportunity facing Britain’s casinos over the next decade is not simply a change in legislation.
Perhaps it is a change in identity. If we can help Government, local authorities and the wider public see casinos not simply as places where gambling happens, but as employers, investors, partners, convenors, tourist attractions and long-term contributors to the communities they serve, then we will have achieved something far more valuable than a reduction in our rates bill.
We will have fundamentally changed the conversation.
ASK SIMON!
If you’d like Simon to answer your question, email Matt now:
casinointernationalmatt@gmail.com
AUGUST 2026 11
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